Hose Rolling

[Matt]

I just happen to stumble upon a comment on Twitter:

Quote

Current UKFRS hose rolling archaic. Ergonomically unsafe.Stress on ankles/knees/back/hips/neck. Time to invest in hose rolling equipment.

I thought it would suit a discussion on here, not on about dutch roll either!  Is it time a portable hose winder is kept on the appliance, I have seen various things over the years including one that attached to the back of the truck and was wound.

Do any Brigades have such thing on appliances these days or is it down to manually getting down and rolling it up?

[Jet]

I've often thought the same about our hose stowage. To me it is outdated and makes for very slow deployment. I would be happy with either the portable hose winders on wheels you see on almost every appliance in France and other countries on the continent, or a pre-connect system with hose flaked on a bed or in some other stowage place as our American cousins do. Both solutions however would need us to completely change the stowage configuration and look of our appliances which makes me think it will forever remain in the 'too difficult' pile.

[Keith]

Hence why we still like to use the hosereels.

In the scheme of things, its not something i ever really considered. Like everything else if its done correctly it shouldn't be much of an issue. Yes there are manual handling considerations, which you'll still have with flaked, but these pale into insignificance compared to dragging a length of charged 70 mm into a burning building.

[Jet]

7 minutes ago, Keith said:

dragging a length of charged 70 mm into a burning building.

On my recruits course we did the infamous 'towering inferno' involving getting a 70mm jet up to the eight floor of the drill tower. That will be last time I drag 70mm anywhere 

[Dan J]

Exercise Aquarius as it's called here ?

But yes, back on topic, we really should have a machine that winds up hose. And no we don't have one... perhaps time to find one on t'internet and send it to equipment ?

[Landy01]

Queensland has/had them on some bushfire appliances and some stations had a hose roller at station. To be honest I've used both (maybe twice each in 14 years) and it's quicker, easier and gives a better roll to do it manually.

[Dyson]

i wonder if we had more pre-connected 51mm, then maybe it would be used more? Rather than HPHR?

[Hmckay91]

Just bodge up one of these and throw it on the truck...  Although as Landy01 says it's often quicker, easier and gives a better roll to do it manually

[Br9mp81]

Best thing for rolling after testing and drying, a table metal if possible, with wooden battens 45/70ish, a senior officer stole ours to use as a desk in a office, so I got in 1 night and cut 2" off one leg.

[Alan]

Funnily enough I done a work based project on this very subject for my manual handling instructor/ assessor course. The examiner couldn't believe that rolling hose in this manner was allowed to happen. There are plenty of mechanical devices available, and I don't care if they don't give as good a roll of hose but my back will thank me for it.

[Jet]

On 25/09/2017 at 07:50, Dyson said:

i wonder if we had more pre-connected 51mm, then maybe it would be used more? Rather than HPHR?

With the new big bore hosereels, I think they are here to stay. But some jobs will still dictate you use a jet.

I'd like to see us get pre-connect hose, I think the idea of bowling out (or worse running out ) separate lengths and then having to connect a bunch of bastards all together seems so inefficient, plus you are usually having to guess the amount of lengths you think you will need as well.

[Healdav]

On 21/09/2017 at 22:30, Jet said:

I've often thought the same about our hose stowage. To me it is outdated and makes for very slow deployment. I would be happy with either the portable hose winders on wheels you see on almost every appliance in France and other countries on the continent, or a pre-connect system with hose flaked on a bed or in some other stowage place as our American cousins do. Both solutions however would need us to completely change the stowage configuration and look of our appliances which makes me think it will forever remain in the 'too difficult' pile.

Just noticed this.

The problem with the reels of hose they use in France and elsewhere is that you have to unroll 100 metres of hose before being able to use any at all. The advantage is that you can roll the entire system to where you want it (there is a handle between the two sides of the reel, which are, in fact, wheels). HOWEVER.

On the occasions when I have seen the system in use or being demonstrated, it seems to me to take far longer to deploy than the British system of short hose lengths. And its a lot of hose to drag around, then roll up. How often do you really need a 100 metres of hose?